Seat



W. L RIDER.

SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14. 1920.

1,366,943, Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- w. J. RIDER.

.SEAT. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1920.

1,366,943. Patented Feb. 1,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- "UNITED STATELEFENT O WILLIAM JOSEPH RIDER, OF L IOBLEY, ENGLAND.

SEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 14, 1920. Serial No. 410,184.

land, have invented new and useful Improve ments in Seats, of which the following is a specification;

The invention consists of improvements in seats which are primarily intended to be applied to seats used in cinemas, theaters and the like, but may also be applied to chairs orseats used in offices. y

The invention will be mainly described in connection with the seats with which it is chiefly intended to be used.

The seats used incinemas, theaters and other buildings where entertainments are given-are arranged in rows, andthe distance between each row of seats is necessarily made as narrow as possible in order that the seatinbg accommodation shall be as large as pos si le.

Owing to the narrow width of the space between successive rows of seats, when a person has to pass to any unoccupied seat other than a seat at one of the ends of a row of seats it is necessary for one or more of the persons already seated to rise in order to allow the newcomer to reach his seat. This which is also necessary when tip-up seats are used, is a great inconvenience to the occupants of seats in the rear of the row in question, as their view of the screen, stage or platform is obstructed for some considerable time.

The invention consists of the construction of seat hereinafter described which will render it unnecessary for the occupant of a cinema or like seat to rise when a person wishes to pass, as aforesaid, to an unoccupied seat, as all that will be necessary for him to do is to either swing his legs to the right or left, or, while the seat is still in its normal position, to merel move the seat backward.

The accompanyin drawings illustrate the application of the invention to cinema or theater seats.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are a front elevation, a plan and a side view showing cinema or theater seats provided with the invention. Fig. 4 is a plan illustrating mechanism which may be used in carrying out the invention. Fig. 5 is a part section and part slde view of a seat provided with said mechanism. Fig.

G is an inverted plan of the movable plate carrying the racks of the mechanism.

Referring now to these drawings, 1 is a relatively fixed plate, hereinafter referred to as the fixed plate of the seat, which is secured Patented Feb. 1, 1921. j

to the framing 2. is a toothed sector,.hav mg a c1rcumferent1al length of more than one-quarter of a circle and less than one-half of circle, which is secured to the fixed plate 1, as is also a boss 4, Fig. 5, the center of which corresponds to the center of the toothedsector 3.

This plate 5 isformed with a slot 7 and is secured in position on the boss 4 by means 5 is a second plate, .hereinafter called the movable plate, which is secured to the bottom of the seat proper 6.

of a strip or plate 8, partly covering the slot 7, a washer 9 bearing againstfthe upper surface of the boss 4:, and a screw 10 engaging.

with said boss andbearing against the washer 9. 11 are straight racks secured to the lower surface of the movable plate 5 at such a distance apart that when the plate is in its normal position neither rack will be in engagement with the toothed sector. 12 is a two-armed spring which is mounted on the upper surface of the movable plate by means of a screw 13 and bears at one of its ends against an upwardly projecting lug 14 on the front of the strip 8 and bears at its other end, which is hooked, against a stud 1.5 fixed to the movable plate.

The fixed plates of the improved seats may be either secured to the framing supporting the seats or be arranged to tip-up. In the latter case the fixed plates would be hingedly connected to said framing, as shown in Figs. 3, 4. and 5.

The mechanism shown acts as follows 2-- If the occupant of a seat has to move to allow a person to pass in front of him he swings his legs toward the right or left. As a consequence the rack secured to the lower surface of the movable plate of the seat on the side opposite to that toward which he swings his legs will come into engagement with the toothed sector secured to the fixed plate of the seat, and the movable plate of the seat and therefore the seat proper in addition to turning on the boss secured to the fixed plate will be simultaneously moved backward, the slot formed in the movable plate of the seat traveling over the boss secured to the fixed plate of the seat. At the time the end of the spring which bears against the upwardly projecting lug formed on the strip or plate which partly covers the slot formed in the movable plate will be bent out of its normal position, so that when the occupant of the seat swings his legs back to their normal position said spring'will assist in this return movement. The occupant of a seat, instead of swinging his legs to the right or left may cause a backward movement of the seat to take place by a rearward movement of his body, the slot formed in the movable plate of the seat moving on the boss secured to the fixed plate of the seat in a 'past the'toothed sector right line and the racks of the mechanism secured to the fixed plate of the seat. -As mentioned in'the earlier part of the specification the improvements described herein may be applied to office seats and chairs.

able plate carrying the seat proper, pivotally mounted on said relatively fixed plate, and formed with a slot taking over the pivot of said plates, suitably spaced racks secured to the lower surface of said movable plate, and a spring for returning the movable plate to its normal position when displaced therefrom, substantially as described.

2. A seat consisting of a relatively fixed plate, a toothed sector secured to the upper surface of said plate and formed with teeth extending through more than one-quarter of a circle but less than half a circle. a movable plate carrying the seat proper, mounted on a boss on said relatively fixed plate and formed with a slot taking over said boss, suitably spaced racks fixed to the lower surface of said movable plate, a strip covering said slot, mounted on' said boss and secured in position thereon by a washer and a screw engaging with said boss, and formed at its front end with an upstanding lug, and a two-armed spring mounted on the upper surface of said movable plate and bearing at its ends against said upstanding lug and a pin fixed to said movable plate, substantially as described.

In testimony name to this s ecification.

WIL IAM JOSEPH RIDER.

whereof I have signed my 

